To strengthen the income of fishermen engaged in fishing activities across various reservoirs in the state, the government has decided to reduce the royalty on fish catch from reservoirs from 7.5 percent to one percent, in line with the budget announcement for the year 2026-27. Earlier, the state government had reduced the royalty rate from 15 percent to 7.5 percent during the previous year.
The decision is expected to directly benefit more than 6,500 fishermen families dependent on the Gobind Sagar, Pong Dam, Chamera, Ranjit Sagar and Kol Dam reservoirs for their livelihood. The initiative forms part of the government’s commitment to strengthening the fisheries sector, which plays a vital role in the rural economy and contributes significantly to nutritional and protein security.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government is committed to doubling the income of fishermen through policy support, infrastructure development and value addition initiatives. He said that the reduction in royalty and license fees would provide substantial economic relief to fishermen, improve their livelihoods and enhance their overall standard of living.
The Chief Minister directed the Fisheries Department to undertake a comprehensive awareness campaign to ensure that all registered fishermen avail themselves of the benefits of the revised policy. He said that the earlier royalty structure had adversely affected the earnings of fishermen cooperative societies as well as individual fishermen. The reduction to one percent will significantly improve profitability, discourage out-migration from reservoir areas and provide a major boost to the state’s emerging blue economy.
He further said that the government is taking several measures to modernize the fisheries sector, including the development of fish landing centres, provision of ice boxes and strengthening of marketing linkages to ensure better prices for fish produce. These initiatives, coupled with the reduction in royalty, will enhance the net earnings of fishermen and make fishing a more sustainable and attractive livelihood option for rural youth.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the decision reflects the government’s commitment to honour the hard work and contribution of fishermen while promoting inclusive rural development and economic prosperity across reservoir-dependent communities.
